Day 148 - Young Frankenstein

Day 2 of our stay in London and now the weather is getting really fierce by U.K. standards. The media is calling it the Beast of the East meets Emma. The Beast is a Russian cold front that has made things quite chilly, not Canadian winter cold but it has impacted most places here which aren'tt really designed to deal with temperatures that drop down to -8 C at night. Emma is a low-pressure cell that's coming from Portugal, and the combination of her warm, moist air with the cold high pressure is a recipe for lots of snow -- and that is what we are getting.  I think that by tomorrow there will be quite a story to tell, but that is not what today is about.

Our business finished by early afternoon, so Angela and I made the decision to get cheap same-day tickets for a West End stage play or musical. We also decided that we might try and squeeze in the film, Call Me By My Name, if we could in the afternoon. More on that at the end.

London Cast

Our choice of theatre was the musical, Young Frankenstein. It was written by Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder initially as a movie (as many of you will recall) in the early 1970s. It followed Blazing Saddles, which was a huge hit, and when Mel asked Gene Wilder to play the Gunslinger with a drinking problem in that movie, it was reported that Wilder would only do it if Mel was willing to work with him on an idea that Wilder had about the descendant of Dr. Frankenstein who returns to Transylvania. The musical was written decades later when Mel Brooks adopted the original story from the movie and added songs, lyrics and music written by him.

First Stage Production - 1823

The story of Frankenstein originates from a novel written by the English author, Mary Shelley.  Supposedly she wrote the book in response to a wager with her husband to be, Percy Shelley the romance poet, and Lord Byron. Shelley was only 17 when she began writing it, and in 1818 it was published anonymously (she was 20). It had its first theatrical performance in 1823.

The musical opened on Broadway in late 2007 and ran for 458 performances until January 2009.  It was 8 years later that the show made its appearance in London's West End with some new songs written by Brooks. For our performance, the lead was replaced by the understudy, so the production had some timing issues, and with the weather getting worse by the hour, the Garrick Theatre was only about 2/3 full. But by the time it finished the audience was getting into it and all in all we enjoyed it, even if it felt like it was more of a travelling show than one that was based in the West End. 

We also had the advantage of half price tickets plus an upgrade upon our arrival due principally to the theatre staff wanting the grand circle filled as opposed to being mostly empty (we had originally been seated in the third level upper circle). 

Our day finished with a post-theatre snack and a tube ride back to our hotel. We knew by morning that we would be facing a red-alert snowstorm. 

As for the film, well it was deserving of a best picture nomination, but it has its moments where one wonders if the director still thought he was in film school. On the SmithWalsh scale, 3.5 out of 5.

Ale of Day: London Pale Ale, Meantime Brewery, Greenwich, London

Day 147 - West India Quay

Converted Warehouses at West India Quay

Last night we arrived in London for a two-day combination business/pleasure trip. As our business involved being close to the London ExCeL Centre, we chose a nearby hotel: the Marriott Moxy London ExCeL.

The ExCeL Center is a convention and exhibition space that hosts many of London's major trade events. It's located in the London Docklands area on the east side of the City and when it came time to enjoy the pleasure side of this journey into London, we of course chose to see where the closest cinema was! I mean there is only a few days left before the Oscars and Angela still hasn't seen The Post or I, Tonya (the former was nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress, the latter had two nominations for acting; Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress). I had the good fortune of seeing both in Toronto at Christmas with our daughter, Rebecca, but was more than willing to see them again. Both films were showing at the West India Quay Cinema, so we decided to do a double feature and then a meal afterward in one of the many restaurants within the re-developed wharf buildings.

Old Map of West India Docks

These buildings were originally warehouses for sugar and other products brought to London by the West Indies merchants. One of those merchants, Robert Milligan, is said to have been instrumental in the construction of the docks in 1802. The British government enacted legislation to help fund the development and to provide quasi-monopoly powers requiring all shipping to dock here. In the early 1900s, the London Port Authority took over the operation of the docks, which ironically became less important for the import of goods, and were more useful for exports of manufactured goods from the industrial east end of London. However, by the late 1950s and early 1960s, the introduction of shipping containers and the construction of large container ships made these relatively smaller docks less useful. East London's manufacturing sector was also beginning to decline as globalization moved manufacturing offshore. In 1980, the docks were closed and the government took over ownership.

Retro-One Canada Square

It was the Canary Wharf development in the late 1980s and culminating with One Canada Square that began the rejuvenation of the area. The reason it was called One Canada was because it was the Canadian firm, Olympia and York, that did the development. When it was completed in 1991, it was the tallest building in the U.K., but today it is the second tallest, after the recently completed Shard. One Canada rises above most of the buildings in the development and from the front of the restaurant, Burger & Lobster, Angela looked up and took this interesting photo to the right using a greyscale filter.

Oh yeah, about the movies. On the SmithWalsh scale The Post rated a 4/5 and I, Tonya a 4.5/5.  Both good films but I, Tonya wins out for its acting, quirky editing and great soundtrack from the late 1980s and early 1990s.  Actually an appropriate film given that it takes place at the same time the Canary Wharf project was initially completed.

Dinner at the Burger & Lobster consisted of a burger and lobster, of course.

Ale of the Day:  Bibble Ale, Wild Brewery Co., Evercreech, Somerset

 

Day 146 - The Great Malverns

Rising up from the Severn River valley are the Malvern Hills, which I like to refer to as the Great Malverns. They appear as isolated features from the rest of the area and that is because they are made up of very dense igneous rock that has been more resistant to erosion than the surrounding rocks. After millions of years, they now stand at a maximum elevation of 425 metres, with the Severn River below it at an elevation of just 16 metres.

The hills run across the boundary of three shires: Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire. They're best known for their natural mineral springs, which provided commercial quantities of mineral water with so-called medical benefits. For over 600 years, the water was thought to improve one's health. It has been reported that Elizabeth I consumed it and that Queen Victoria went nowhere without it. From 1850 to 2010 it was bottled under the Schweppes brand; in the later years, this brand was owned by Coca Cola. They ceased producing it for economic reasons, but a local family-owned business now bottles and sells it.

Outside the Pub where he and Tolkein
hung out.

The town of Great Malvern lies along the eastern slopes of the Malverns and on the trainline to Hereford (see the previous day's blog post). The rail station is a listed building and is an example of the ornate Victorian stations that were built when railroads became the dominant form of transport in the 1800s. 

When we stopped off on our way back to Moreton in Marsh, we decided to see what the town was like. Our route today required us to have a layover of about an hour and 15 minutes in the late afternoon in Great Malvern so we thought a bite to eat was in order as well. It's about a 15-minute walk straight uphill from the station to the town centre. 

The town began as a Benedictine monastery in the 11th century, and in 1290, Edward I granted large amounts of land to someone by the name of Gilbert "the Red" who had married Edward's daughter, Joan. Gilbert was the 7th Earl of Gloucester and 6th Earl of Hereford.

Because of the local mineral water, the town became a spa town. With the introduction of the railroad, it's fame and tourism business grew immensely and it became a celebrity destination including visitors such as Lord Tennyson, Florence Nightingale, Charles Darwin and Charles Dicken's wife, Catherine.

In the early 20th century, theatre was introduced and became part of the tourist draw.  Writers found there way here, and it's well known that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein would get together in Malvern to discuss their novels.

A view over the Severn Valley at dusk

The entire region is now a Conservation Area and is protected from development. In recent years, grazing animals have been re-introduced to the hillsides and when we walked into town we could look up and see sheep grazing in the most precarious spots! 

Today the town remains a tourist destination principally for those looking to enjoy the hill walking and to take in some theatre. There is also a number of very large private schools that look like they have occupied some of the grandest hotels that may have existed in the town's heyday.

Once we reached the centre of town, we popped into an Italian chain restaurant for a quick bite as we would have to head back down shortly to catch our train. Standing at its entrance we turned to look back at the spectacular view over the Severn valley and the Cotswolds to the east and it is no wonder that Great Malvern was such a desirable location for the Victorians. We enjoyed a quick pizza and San Pellegrino mineral water -- oh shame on us: Italian water in the heart of British mineral water country! 


Ale of the Day: Black Pear Premium Bitter, Malvern Hills Brewery, Malvern, Worcestershire

Day 145 - Here forward to Hereford

Exhausted from our "monumentous" walk yesterday, we decided that today we would take it easy and enjoy the sunshine by getting on the train and making our way to the end of the Cotswold Malvern Railway at Hereford. The train route is sometimes referred to as the Cathedral Express because, in addition to the Cathedral in Worcester (see a previous blog) that is on this line, there is also the Hereford Cathedral. Hereford is the County Town of Herefordshire and lies a further 25 miles or so from Worcester. In between lies the Great Malverns, a series of large hills that rise dramatically from the surrounding farmland (more about them tomorrow).

Old Market Square

Hereford derives its name from the Anglo Saxon word "here" which stands for army or formation of soldiers and "ford" which is a place you cross a river. The city sits on the river Wye, which flows from the Welsh highlands to the Severn River, travelling a distance of 215 or so kilometres making it the sixth longest river in the U.K. Richard I gave Hereford a town charter in 1189. Its location was perfect as a trading centre for the local agriculture and forestry.

The city has been the site of many a conflict during the post-Roman time between the Welsh and the Anglo-Saxons. During the time of King Edward the Confessor in 1056, the Welsh under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (try and say that quickly -- no wonder the Welsh are known for their consonants), who was then the King of Gwynedd and Powys, joined up with his Viking allies, put the city to flame and then left. The troubles with the Welsh lasted on and off for another 400 years, with Henry IV battling it out with them in the early 1400s. 

Given its early history as a key strategic location it is not surprising that the city also played a role in the War of the Roses, where the head of the Lancaster House, Owen Tudor (grandfather of Henry VII), was executed by Sir Roger Vaughan (a Welshman and supporter of the House of York). It also played a role inthe English Civil War (from 1642 to 1645 the city switched control between Cromwell's Parliamentarians and Charles I's Royalists repeatedly).

St. Thomas de Cantilupe

Our mission today was to get to the Cathedral. It dates back to 1079, but was constructed on the site of an earlier cathedral that dated back to the 8th century. An earlier place of worship had been constructed in the 7th century and it was here that the body of Ethelbert the King of East Anglia -- an Anglo-Saxon kingdom (now Suffolk and Norfolk) -- was brought in 792 by a monk and thought to have been buried. Ethelbert had been on his way to this area, which at the time was the Kingdom of Mercia. It was ruled by King Offa who had promised his daughter's hand to Ethelbert, but the King must have had second thoughts and had Ethelbert murdered. Ethelbert was eventually canonized, albeit locally instead of by the Pope, and is now, along with the Virgin Mary, the Patron Saint of the Cathedral.

He was not the only Saint associated with the Cathedral. Thomas de Cantilupe was the Bishop of Hereford and Lord Chancellor of England in the early 13th century and after coming into a dispute with the Archbishop of Canterbury, England's leading clergyman, De Cantilupe was excommunicated from the Catholic church. He went to Rome to plead his case with the Pope, but died shortly after getting to Italy. He was buried in the Cathedral and you can visit his tomb. When miracles start to be reported by those who visited his tomb, the site became a pilgrimage for many and he was canonized a Saint by the Pope in the 14th Century.

Mappa Mundi - So Where's Canada?

The Cathedral also hosts the Mappa Mundi, a map of the world as they new it in 1300 A.D. and the oldest medieval map still in existence. It has Jerusalem at its center and the Garden of Eden in a circle at the edge of the world. Great Britain occupies the northwestern part of the map with Hereford noted by the drawing of a cathedral. The circular nature of the map suggests the notion that the world may be round and that this is a projection of that -- well before Columbus sailed the ocean blue. 

When we left the Cathedral, we walked through the nearby Castle Green, which was the site of Hereford Castle. This castle supposedly rivaled Windsor Castle, but fell into ruin and was replaced by gardens. The remnant of the castle moat still exists. 

A brief walk along the river ended with us returning to the old market place in order to catch our Sunday train home.

Day 144 - Broadway to Stanton

One of the challenges we've given ourselves on this trip is to walk the 102 mile Cotswold Way. The problem we're facing is that to get to the various points along it is not always easy without a car. The Cotwolds is a place where a town right next to you may not be accessible by direct public transport. So, you may end up having to travel 3 or 4 hours by train and bus to make your way to a place that is less than 10 miles away.

It's just how it is. You keep expecting to hear, "You can't get there from here," when you ask how to get somewhere. LOL.

We've walked various sections of it over this and other trips. So far, while we've been here, we've walked the start at Chipping Campden down to Broadway. But that's only about 6 miles.

Today, we worked out a way to walk another stretch. It involved getting up early to the first bus out of Moreton in Marsh to Broadway. From there, Phil had worked out a path along the Cotswold Way to the village of Stanton, and then a loop back along other paths. There wasn't any other way we could get transport back in time ... and guarantee we would make it to the needed bus stop in time for the last bus.

The sun was beaming down upon us as we left the beautiful town of Broadway...which is fast becoming our favourite town in the area. It was nice to see it in all its glory before the streets became cluttered with people out enjoying the gorgeous day.

From Broadway we walked for about a mile up about 173m to the escarpment at Burhil (173m). The views back over the area and across to the Broadway Tower were spectacular.

The walk up took us through fields of sheep, completely oblivious to us. We know it is lambing season and are on the look out for these adorable animals, but none were in this field. However, we did see a few that looked like they were carrying twins and ready to give birth at any minute.

Looking back to Broadway from
the Cotswold Way.

The path was fairly even for a bit, before it began its steady climb for 1.5 miles up 278m to Shenberrow Hill, once the site of an iron-age settlement (about 700 BC).

Once up, you inevitably have to come down again, and in this case, the descent was rather sharp over 1.25 miles of muddy tracked path to the very pretty village of Stanton. In the late 700s AD, manors at Stanton and nearby Snowshill were ceded to the Benedictine abbey of St. Mary of Winchcombe. Stanton manor passed to Katherine Parr (Henry VIII's sixth and last wife) in her dowry.

The village of Stanton.

At Stanton, we broke away from the Cotswold way to make our way back toward Broadway. Rather than climb back up the hill we had just fallen  walked down, we took the Winchcombe Way which skirts across the slope of the escarpment.

This is very much equestrian country, and we passed many horse farms and riders on this fine day.

This part of the path took us path the village of Laverton and then into Buckland. On entering Buckland, we were treated to views of the stunning Buckland Manor, which dates to the 13th Century. Today it is a hotel with restaurant ... and looks like a romantic place to spend a day...or seven.

Buckland Manor next to the Church of St. Mary, Buckland. The village rectory is thought to be the oldest in the UK.

It was in Buckland that we took a bit of a rest on a bench across from the church. It was idyllic as we watched the locals walk by and chat with each other, and even enjoyed the clip-clop of a horse and rider go by.

Our walk had taken us about four hours up and down hills, so when we returned to Broadway, we enjoyed a lovely lunch of homemade carrot and butternut squash soup with half a tuna mayo sandwich...with a cup of tea, of course.

Then it was on the bus again, and back to Moreton in Marsh.  Time for a brief nap before we walked to the village of Bourton on the Hill for this month's Rural Cinema offering, Victoria and Abdul.  In all, this was our longest walking day so far, at 27 km...and yes, our feet were tired! The rest of the Cotswold Way will just have to wait.




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Day 143 - Four Candles or Fork Handles?

We have a busy weekend of walking planned, so today is a work day.

So, thought I'd share a quick story from our wanderings yesterday.

When two trains in a row were cancelled that would take us back home to Moreton in Marsh after our movie date, we decided to not battle the business crowds heading home on what was most certainly going to be a super crowded train and instead wait it out over a light dinner (and a pint for Phil, of course).  We chose a pub called The Four Candles. It's named after a comedy sketch by Ronnie Barker (of The Two Ronnies, if you are into British comedy). If you don't know it, it is absolute must viewing for anyone with a love of language as it is based on word play and homophones.

Barker attended Oxford's High School for Boys which is near to the pub (and is now the home of Oxford University's history faculty). The sketch has Barker walking into a hardware store asking for what sounds like "four candles" when he really wanted fork handles. You can watch it here...it's a good laugh, and you'll see how often even the English can't understand their own language. ;-)

Day 142 - Odeon Magdalene

Oscar time is fast approaching, so we have a few movies to squeeze in before the big day. Interestingly, many of the Best Picture nominated movies are just starting to show up in the UK.

Oxford cinema circa 1979.
Source: cinematreasures.org (LenGazzard)

Serving this town of about 170,000 people (I have no idea how many are temporary student residents) are five cinemas. We had passed the small, almost hidden entrance to an Odeon theatre on one of our walks and decided to give it a try for our viewing of The Shape of Water. 

he Four Horesemen of the Apocolypse, and was designed to seat 900 people on the main level and another 350 in the balcony. On the upper level there was also what is described as a "high class" cafe for movie goers. Today, this area is a second screening area.
Although from the outside today the cinema may not seem like much, when you venture inside, to where the concession stand now shares space with a Costa coffee shop, you will find the remains of a full-sized theatre. It first opened in 1924 with the movie T

The first "talkie" to play in Oxford took place here in 1930 with the screening of The Broadway Melody.

It has changed hands over the years, and while the balcony isn't used, the space still exists. Today, it is owned by Odeon and the lower level seats 662 people ... my, my ... are people that much bigger?Must be all those extra large popcorns! Despite all the changes, the building is Grade II listed, meaning they can't make many changes to it.

But, onto our film critique. On the Smith/Walsh movie meter it earns 3.5 stars out of 5. Rich scenes, but a certain immaturity to the way the storyline is presented.

Added note: Before the movie, we enjoyed a really tasty Caribbean lunch at a restaurant called Turtle Bay. As you would expect, Oxford has students from around the world, so many tastes are catered to here.

Day 141 - Fine company

Our friends Alan and Caroline Green invited us to dinner this evening. As we don't have a car, Alan was kind enough to pick us up and drive us to their very lovely home on a hill overlooking the beautiful Cotswold countryside. Alan got us there in time to see the area just before the sun set for the evening...it is really like living in a picture postcard setting.

The Greens had invited another couple, their friends for almost 15 years, Lucy and Maggie. Lucy is a mentor/coach and Maggie is a horse therapist...both hugely interesting women. We enjoyed a lovely roast dinner, wine, easy conversation and good company. Life as it should be!

Day 140 - Sandhurst

I am currently writing a new textbook with Dr. Lez Rayman-Bacchus, who I have been working with at the University of Winchester. Today I was travelling by train to visit him at his home in Camberley. The rail station where he picks me up from is in the same area as Sandhurst, the famous army training school. So, for this day's blog I'm going to write about it and provide some interesting facts about England's premier military college.

Sandhurst Military College was founded in 1802 (they received approval from parliament in 1801) with the purpose of providing gentlemen cadets with training to become officers in the infantry and cavalry of the British Army. West Point was also established that year for the U.S. Army officer training. The buildings that now house the college were built in 1812.

Until 1871, when the government abolished the practice, it was possible to purchase a commission in the Army. For example in 1837, if you wanted to become a Lt. Colonel in the cavalry, you paid approximately £6,175 (equal to about £515k in today's money). After that, one advanced on merit alone.

The college continued its activities until the Second World War when most of its students were sent off to the battlefields and the college was converted to army support facilities. After the war the college was renamed the Sandhurst Military Academy and merged with the Military Academy at Woolwich where the cadets were being trained to be officers in the Artillery and Royal Engineers. Since then, all officers in the Army are trained here.

Some famous and infamous graduates include Sir Winston Churchill, Earl Haig (the person who a Toronto high school is named after) and most recently Prince Harry, as well as a few Middle Eastern sultans and kings, including King Hamad of Bahrain, King Abdullah of Jordan and Sultan Qaboos of Oman. Sandhurst has received a lot of attention lately as it has been the beneficiary of Middle Eastern money that has helped build new facilities at the college. Perhaps the notion of paying for your commission hasn't really been abolished!

Ale of the Day: Traditional English Ale (TEA), Hogs Back Brewery, Farnham, Surrey

Day 139 - The stocks

Moreton in Marsh's stocks...ready to
be put back into action any time!

You can walk through the town you live in every day and still find something new. But really, would you miss seeing stocks sitting in the middle of a green in the centre of the main street? Probably not, but I did! I just noticed them the other day.

At one time, English law required every town or village to have a set of stocks. At first they were used to stop workers from leaving their homes to find work elsewhere that paid them better (obviously this was pre unions). Back in the 14th Century, when stocks started being used, if you broke this law, you're legs were locked in, and there you sat to until you came to your senses.

In reality, the stocks were a minor form of punishment. Other choices include pillories (like a stock, but the ones that a person has to put their head and hands through) and whipping posts (ouch).

As time went on, stocks were used to hold drunks and vagabonds, and people would throw rotten vegetables at them. I am a bit surprised at this because I thought most medieval food was made from half rotten food to begin with. I guess our definition of rotten has probably changed over time...so probably rancid was a better term to use for the vegetables thrown.

Some kindness existed at the time, as many towns had laws that limited you to throwing only soft items. See, the times weren't all bad.

The stocks in Stow on the Wold have even lent their name
to a hotel and restaurant behind it: Old Stocks Inn.
Source: http://www.oldstocksinn.com

In some cases, if the person in the stocks was well liked, the townsfolk would throw flowers. However, if the person was particularly vile, they'd have their shoes and socks removed and their feet tickled. I'm sure this is where the "unusual" comes from our current expression "cruel and unusual punishment."

Now, for my linguist friends, you may be thinking that perhaps this feet tickling punishment is where the expression "laughing stock" came from. Unfortunately, it's not. In that case, stock cames from an old word meaning a branchless tree, and was used as deragatory term for something of ridicule (think of that the next time you call someone a laughing stock..."Hey, you branchless tree...yes, I meant you, you limbless spindly trunk."

I have no idea how long the stocks in Moreton in Marsh have existed or when they were last used. However, the last recorded use in the UK was in 1872. But if you ever come for a visit, just remember not too get too drunk or caught lolling about; while it's been a while since they've been used, stocks have never been formally abolished.

Day 138 - The Four Shire Stone

This Sunday, we awoke to an overcast day, but it was one of those strangely bright cloudy days that don't look like rain is at all a threat. So, despite having planned to get caught up on some work, we couldn't resist the chance for a walk.

We pored over our Ordinance Map of the area looking for somewhere to walk close by and settled on a circular walk on a section around Moreton in Marsh that we hadn't yet traversed.

The road we chose eventually leads to Evenlode and starts out in a rather eclectic section of town, with an odd mix of housing styles. After passing one of the town's two allotment gardens, we were soon in the countryside passing horse farms. We were pleasantly surprised to find some really gorgeous estates out this way.

A large variety of birds were singing as we went and we watched what we thought were two Red Kites fly over the open fields looking for lunch. As we turned down the road leading to Great Wolford, Phil gave the birds a run for their money with his eagle eye spottinng a lone deer munching on the grass of a farmer's fallow field.

As we approached the Oxford Road -- the main road leading into Moreton in Marsh, we noted that the various and farms all had names with the words "Four Shire" in them: Four Shire Home Farm, Four Shire House, North Four Shire Stone Farm. On the opposite side of the Oxford Road we noticed what at first we mistook for the stone entrance to a manor. But only one side of the road had one. Phil quickly noticed writing on it (his eagle eyes at work again), and we found ourselves staring at The Four Shire Stone, a boundary marker that marks there place where at one time four English counties came together: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. In 1931, the boundary for Worcestershire was moved, so now it is more accurately the Three Shire Stone.

It's actually a listed monument built some time in the 18th century from Cotswold stone , so has that lovely golden hue to it. Over the years, people have carved their names into it...the 1800s version of graffiti. Research shows there was another 4 Shire Stone here in 1675.

If you've been reading our blog you know we are in the land that inspired much of Tolkein's work, so it should come as no surprise to learn that the stone is thought to have inspired the "Three Farthing Stone" in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The Shire in those stories is divided into four farthings, three of which meet at the "Three Farthing Stone."

From here it was a walk back into town, where we stopped to explore the local industrial park when we spotted a Petro Canada decal on the front of a truck. Turns out one of the occupants of the park is the Porsche Club of Great Britain while another is a company call Rennsport that builds the Porsche 911 there to bespoke specifications. You just never know what you'll discover by noticing a Canadian icon.

Then it was home and dinner (no Sunday roast today after our fine evening out on Friday). Oh, and we discovered the BAFTAs were on the tellie, so we watched those in preparation for fast-approaching Oscar night.

Day 137 - Alresford

A second sunny day in Hampshire with our friends, Jane and Trevor. Today we were going to enjoy the weather by driving to the town of Alresford (pronounced 'Alls-ford'). The town's name is really New Alresford because the Alre river separates the town from the village of Old Alresford, but everyone refers to it as Alresford. Our goal was to walk down by the Alre river with Jane, her daughter Olivia and their dogs.

Trevor you may remember is a retired Army Major and he and I are mutual admirers of fine-tasting English ales. Today he joined the rest of us on our walking trip, but would stay behind and read a paper in the car and then we would all go to one of the locals for some libations and a bite of late lunch.

Jane and myself hugging along the way
and her daughter Olivia playing chaperone.

Alresford had its beginnings in the 12th and 13th century when it was one of six new towns being set up by the Bishop of Winchester. The site lies along the Pilgrim's Way which connected Winchester with Canterbury and was the route by which pilgrims from the Winchester area could get to the shrine of Thomas Becket in the Cathedral at Canterbury.  Becket was the Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered by Henry II in 1160. 

A weir was constructed across the Alre and connected Old Alresford and New Alresford. This created a large pond that exists to this day.  The surrounding lands turned out to be profitable for farming and Alresford prospered as a market town for centuries.

One historic event of note for the town was the English Civil War battle of 1644, known as the Battle of Cheriton. The Parliamentarian Army of Cromwell defeated a Royalist Army under Charles I in woods south of Alresford known as the Cheriton Woods. The Royalists had earlier retreated to Winchester and were confronting the Parliamentarian forces who were chasing them westwards from their previous victory at Alton. The Royalists were defeated and forced to escape northwards toward Oxford.

The Alre river is host to many aquatic birds including some beautiful White Swans.  During our walk we came across a Tudor home that sits across the river just down from the site of an old mill and the weir.

The walk winds along the shore and intersects with the main market street running into Alresford's center. Here we met up with Trevor and went into the Horse and Groom Pub for drinks. This pub has been on this site since the mid-16th century and is now owned by Fuller's Brewery and as such carried all of their brands - and believe me I enjoyed a few of them.

Ale of the Day: Front Row Light Ale, Fuller's Brewery, Chiswick, London

Day 136 - Sherfield on Loddon

Jane enjoying the warm
temperatures

With Phil having to give a lecture to a PhD seminar in Winchester on a Friday, we had a great opportunity to visit with our friends Jane and Trevor who live in the Hampshire village of Sherfield on Lodden. 

Jane greeted us at the Basingstoke train station, where Phil caught the next available train on to Winchester. Gloriously sunny day, so he was in no rush, and actually seemed to be relishing the chance to enjoy the uphill walk to Winchester University. 

Jane took me to a lovely garden centre near to her village where we enjoyed lunch in the very sunny gazebo section looking out onto lovely lawn. The sun was so bright, we actually began getting a tad warm. Just the kind of problem one wants to have mid-February!

After popping into Jane's house to say hello to the Major (Trevor), we were soon off on a walk around the surrounding countryside...not wanting to let any of the beautiful sunshine go to waste. 

The name Sherfield on Loddon comes from the old English ‘Scira feld,’ which means ‘bright open land’ on the banks of the River Loddon. The village has kept that meaning to heart, positioning home around large, green open spaces where villages meet when walking their dogs or passing through to get to the local shop or village hall. Jane, of course, knows everyone and every dog, and greets them all with enthusiasm. 

We passed by Sherfield School, a private school for boys and girls from ages 4 to 18. Their main building is called Buckfield, a beautiful Grade ll listed Victorian manor house.  The original manor on the site was gifted by King Henry ll to marshal William Fitz Aldelin. The manor passed between various noble families, including the Marquis of Winchester and the Duke of Wellington. It certainly looks like a lovely place to go to school.

From here we walked around and then across the Sherfield Oaks golf course...and yes, people were out playing.

Making our way across Sherfield Oaks golf course,
 with its two 18-hole courses.

House in the village

Back through the village, where Jane stopped at the local shop to pick up lemon drizzle cake...the perfect accompaniment for a cup of tea while we waited for Phil to return. As luck would have it, the professor Phil was meeting with in Winchester also lived in this village, so he managed to be back just in time for the taxi that was picking us up to take us to dinner.

Jane had booked us a table at an Italian restaurant called Mama Mia in the town of Hartley Wintney. Of course the food was delicious, so we ate too much and had to wash it down with a couple of bottles of Pino Grigio.

Needless to say, we all slept well.

Day 135 - Freemasons: Built to order

We arrived home late yesterday evening from our Valentine's sojourn. One of the places we passed on our walk up to the cinema was the site of the Freemasons. They've gathered on this site for over 200 years. The present hall was constructed between 1927 and 1932 in its Art Deco style by two principal architects, H.V. Ashley and F. Winton Newman.  It was designed to be a memorial for over 3,000 Freemasons killed during the First World War.

The building sits on a site that is two and one quarter acres in area -- pretty significant real estate in the heart of London!  Known initially as the Masonic Peace Memorial, it was renamed the Freemasons Hall when the Second World War broke out. There was in excess of  £1 million raised to fund the development. and in addition to the Great Hall within it there are 23 more temples or meeting rooms contained within it. Each provides for meetings by separate Masonic Lodges and Chapters and are individually designed. Temple No. 1 seats 600 people and has portraits of all the Grand Masters on its walls. The Hall is now a Grade II listed building which will help protect it for years to come.

The Freemasons are one of the largest and oldest fraternal, non-religious, non-political, charitable groups in the world with roots reputedly lying within the actions of medieval stonemasons who were responsible for building some of the world's largest cathedrals and castles. It is estimated that there are over 6 million members worldwide with the largest being the United Grand Lodge of England numbering over a quarter million and housed at....where else? The Freemasons Hall.

Ale of the Day: Tempale, Essex Street Brewery, London